4 Reasons to Visit Eton College

by Liz
(Windsor, UK)

Set up on 1440 by the infamous Henry VIII and place of education to many members of the English Royal family and various Prime Ministers ever since.

Photo provided by Exit Lines - Flickr

It is even ideal for international visitors, since there are many hotels near Heathrow Airport just a stone’s throw away, as well as great travel connection with London. If you visit Eton College you will be taken on a guided tour, through the Halls, Museum and Chapel, where boys still board and learn from the age of 13. There are several fascinating aspects of this hallowed establishment, but there is only space to write about 5 of them here.

Imagining the lives of the first Pupils there

Times were much harder for the first pupils to be educated at Eton. Sent away from home at such a tender age, the boys were only allowed to visit home for two weeks in the summer. Even at Christmas, when there was a week’s holiday, they were not allowed to leave the campus. Rising at 6:00am, they dressed whilst chanting prayers, and then attending some of the 14 services that took place throughout the day. All lessons were taught in Latin and the only respite came in the form of one hour’s play, where they could indulge in football. On Fridays, there was not even the comfort of food, since it was a day of Fasting.

The Chapel

Since there were to be 14 services every day, Henry VIII appointed 10 chaplains, 10 priests, 10 clerks and 6 choristers. The choristers grew to 16 by 1452, comprised of boys who all boarded at the school. This set up allowed for prayers to be said throughout the day for the parents of Henry VIII and the King himself after his death. This reflected the belief in the Middle Ages that prayers helped the dead to progress more quickly along their journey from purgatory to heaven.


The Colours of the School

If you visit the school during a race day or when there are other sporting events taking place, you may catch a glimpse of the “Eton Blue”. This colour is in fact, more green than blue, although there is a blue tone to it. It was used in the uniforms of rowers and crickets from Eton since the early 19th Century, but in 1836 it became symbolic of the Oxford – Cambridge boat race, for Cambridge. The school more often uses a pale blue now, but you may still see the old colours.

Art and Culture

The Chapel has some of the most interesting facets of history out of any building in the British Isles. Having been bombed in the Second World War, the orginal stained glass windows were nearly completely destroyed and only one remains. The others were installed by leading stained glass artists in the fifties, and cover miracles and parables along theme of success and failure. These include the “Feeding of the Five Hundred” and “The House Built on a Rock”. There are also many wall paintings in the Flemish style within the Chapel. These were once concealed by white wash, following orders from Protestant church authorities in 1560. They remained hidden for the best part of 300 years, when they were rediscovered, cleaned and redisplayed.

The School has maintained it’s connection to Royalty throughout the years. One reason for this is that Windsor Castle is so close, which is where Queen Elizabeth II still lives today.